Commentary: Some athletes struggle with their mental health after the Olympics

NOTTINGHAM, England: After the rush of competing at the Olympics and Paralympics, you’d expect an athlete to feel on top of the world as they return home. But for some athletes, the period after the Olympics and Paralympics can be an especially challenging time. 

Though it might not affect everyone, many athletes experience mental health problems after competing in the Games – sometimes known as a “post-Olympic dark period”. Many athletes have opened up in the past about the mental health struggles they faced while adjusting to life after the Games. 

For instance, Olympic skier Nick Goepper reported feeling extremely depressed and even contemplated killing himself after returning home following his bronze medal win at the 2014 Winter Olympics. And the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, has spoken about experiencing severe post-Olympic depression.

According to research from 2021, around 24 per cent of Olympic and Paralympic athletes reported experiencing high or very high psychological distress after the Games. There are many reasons an athlete might experience a post-Olympic dark period. In some cases, many factors may be involved.

For example, failing to live up to performance expectations, not making a final or not achieving a personal best are all reported to affect an athlete’s wellbeing after the Games. 

Underperforming can be particularly distressing, especially given the Olympics or Paralympics only take place once every four years. This means some athletes will only get one chance in their lifetime to qualify.

Other factors linked to post-Olympic dark periods include the euphoria of winning waning, loss of celebrity status, trouble readjusting to life at home, less social support from teammates,